Author archives: Siem de Haan

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Act requires the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to recognise professional bodies and register their professional designations on the NQF. This only happens if the professional body meets the SAQA Policy and Criteria for recognising professional bodies and registering professional designations.

Safety not only comes from regulations and fall protection, but also from someone’s own behaviour while working at height. Our behaviour is often what causes unsafe situations. But our rash or thoughtless actions can have disastrous consequences while working at height. Fortunately our actions are completely within our control.

There will always be situations in which we have to work at heights and the risk of a potential fall becomes a possibility. This is why we have compiled a list of 5 safety tips for workers who will be working at height. These tips focus on one’s own behaviour and habits. Please take note that it is important to always use proper (personal) fall protection while working at height.

1. Never step or walk backward when on a roof
It may sound like an open door, but unfortunately we still see people doing this. Nine out of ten times it ends well. But that one time something doesn’t go right, it could lead to severe injuries or even death. If you’ve been concentrating on your work, chances are the roof edge or a skylight may be closer than you think. Therefore we urgently advice you to never step or walk backward on a roof. Keep your eyes focused on where you want to go. This way you’ll spot obstacles and dangerous situations before it is too late.

2. Do not let yourself get distracted
These days we do everything on our phones. We even receive our work details digitally. People are engrossed in their phones. This can already lead to dangerous situations while firmly planted on the ground, let alone while working at height. The top of a roof is no place for distractions, before you know it you may trip over something, fall into a poorly covered hole or even over the edge. So prevent getting distracted and focus on where you are, while on top of a roof.

3. Always check roof stability
Test your footing before placing your full weight. Roofs age too, or get damaged. You cannot see what is happening beneath the roofing membrane. So always proceed with caution. At the first signs of instability, stop and contact the building’s owner.

4. Take your time while on a ladder
You can never be 100 percent certain of the condition a ladder is in when you first step on it. So take it slow and test the ladder to make sure it’s secure. Not to mention; take it slow while on the ladder. Ladders lie at the source of many workplace accidents. Take your time and ensure you have good footing and grip while climbing or descending. Those in a hurry may make a misstep with potentially disastrous consequences.

Never be in a hurry while working at heights. Approaching a ladder or roof edge quickly could end in an emergency if you lose your balance or miscalculate. If you fall because you were rushing, your life and schedule will be seriously impacted. Even if you are wearing Personal Protection Equipment, a fall will still make a serious impact. Don’t risk it, be careful.

5. Don’t climb over obstacles
When working at height, obstacles may get in the way of work. Whether it’s a parapet, a pile of construction materials, a skylight or something else, don’t climb over it if you don’t know what’s on the other side. Try to find a safe way across, careless climbing over obstacles is a hazard.

Stop work or continue?
Besides these 5 tips, which will make you more aware of your behaviour when working at heights, another great tool to use before entering a roof is a STOP and Go card. While inspecting this card before working will help you take all the adequate actions before entering a roof. If you cannot answer all questions with a “Yes”, you need to stop working and take the appropriate measures.

Dear IWH Members, Training Providers and Stakeholders The IWH Professional Body have been in existence for 5 years already and we are pleased to inform all our members and stakeholders that we have been re-registered with SAQA as the Professional Body for Working at Height until 25 October 2022.

The next five years our aim is to work even harder in ensuring safe working procedures for all our members working at height. That we can however only do with all your assistance and support, as we have received over the past 5 years.

We would like to thank each and every one who have made it possible for us!

The development of an occupational qualification and curriculum involves different phases viz. evaluate, clarify and process the application; Obtain agreement on stakeholder involvement and curriculum scope; capacitate a Learner Qualifications Development Facilitator (LQDF) (if required); plan the project and agree on time frames; facilitate and develop various components; verify all information generated; edit and undertake quality checking activities; finalise and sign off.

Black & Veatch places the highest importance on the safety of our professionals, clients and business partners. In honor of Safety Week 2016, B&V Environmental, Safety, Health & Security (ESH&S) team decided to show the impact of falling objects, emphasizing the value of engineering controls such as tool tethering and hazard prevention planning, as well as barricades, safety nets and PPE (personal protective equipment). Protect your melon!

For decades, leading causes of death on construction sites have been “Falls” and “Struck by Object” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In 2015, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recorded 364 deaths from falls (38.8{0b878db28322f1d72623059ea3f7c1c84e8dbcb820e3133053af0c883bd1ef20} of the total construction deaths) and 90 were struck by objects (9.6{0b878db28322f1d72623059ea3f7c1c84e8dbcb820e3133053af0c883bd1ef20}of the
total construction deaths). That’s a total of 454 workers’ whose lives may have been saved if these risks were eliminated in 2015 alone. (United States Department of Labor.
Commonly Used Statistics. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1rTLTGX)

This article will look at two of the most persistent dangers to workers, illustrate the risks of each, and outline safety solutions and equipment to protect all workers on the jobsite.

The current Regulatory state of things

In the United States, workers at height are in most applications mandated by OSHA to wear a fall protection harness and be tied off.

It is well understood across the general construction industry that workers must utilise a primary safety system to prevent a worker fromfalling, or an active personal fall arrest system (PFAS) to arrest a fall when it occurs. Currently, in regards to objects, protection is addressed with debris nets, toe boards and personal protective equipment (PPE) to eliminate or limit potential damage.

Here is a quick comparison for how the two risks are addressed: People are not designed to work at height: People don’t have a natural connection point to tie off to, which is why they wear a fall protection harness – to provide a connection point and keep themat height.

Tools are not designed to be used at height: Tools also lack a connection point to tie off to, but are allowed to fall with hope that secondary safety measures – hard hats and debris nets – will prevent injury or damage.

While, currently, these risks are regulated very differently, the difference between a fall protection programme for humans and a fall protection programme for objects is only amatter
of perspective: one helps save you; the other helps save others.

The question to ask is, why the difference? Why do we allow anything to fall?

Dropped objects – A known and present danger

According to the BLS, there were 157,490 “struck by object or equipment” cases in 2015 in the United States.

When an object falls from height it gathers energy and force. Heavier tools, some up to 36.28 kg can be particularly dangerous. Tools that have pointed attributes, like a nail, screwdriver or spud wrench, can also cause fatal injuries given their ability to penetrate upon impact.

Even something as light and blunt as a nut fastener has the potential to cause damage, injury or death if it were to fall from a great enough height.

To better understand the potential danger, look at the speed at which a falling tool can travel. For example, a three-pound tool falling from 60 metres will travel at a speed of 128
kilometres per hour when it hits the ground. When this tool finally impacts, hardhats and drop zones are of little consequence when an object with this amount of speed makes a direct impact or deflects off another object.

Incidents and accidents proving the damage potential havemade the news for at least a century. The New York Times published an article on August 2, 1903 about dropped objects where it was reported, “with a series of kerchunks extending over the three years during which the new East River bridge has been built, nearly $3,000 worth of tools have fallen from the hands of the workmen into the river.” The equivalent of that financial loss today would be nearly $78,000. It’s fortunate that these tools were dropped into a body of water.

“According to the BLS, there were 157,490 “struck by object or equipment” cases in 2015 in the United States.” In November 2014, FOX News reported that a 58-year-old man had
died in Jersey City after being struck in the head by a tape measure that fell 50 stories on a job site. While the story was labeled a “freakish accident,” the troubling reality is that this type of incident is more common than people realise. Workers who witnessed the Jersey City incident referenced an ongoing concern of equipment falling from height. (New York Times (2014, November 3). Falling Tape Measure Kills Man at Jersey City Construction Site. Retrieved from http://nyti.ms/2oJBIdY)

With the prevalence of these injuries, companies like 3Mhave been changing how they view and safe-guard against falls for both workers and equipment.

A broader definition of “Fall Protection”, leads to new Standards and Regulations

Historically, “fall protection” referred to preventing people fromfalling. With the increased awareness of danger of “struck by objects” and the growing number of accidents and injuries that have been reported, the industry is shifting to a broader definition of fall protection. “Fall Protection” refers to anything that can fall, whether it’s a person, debris, tool or piece of equipment. For all objects at height – including humans – it’s not about catching the object (a reactive action), it’s about preventing things from falling (a preventative measure).

It’s 3M’s viewpoint that all objects – whether they are people or tools – need protection to help prevent falling. Many other manufacturers, safety managers and professionals agree with this direction. 3Mis working closely with regulating bodies such as OSHA, ANSI and ISEA to help create regulations and a product performance standard for dropped object prevention.

Currently there is an OSHA General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) of a law requiring employers to maintain a workplace “free from recognised hazards that are causing or are likely to
cause death or series physical harm” to employees. OSHA’s criteria for issuing a General Duty Clause Violation include:

Theremust be a hazard

The hazard must be recognised

The hazard causes or is likely to cause injury or death

The hazard must be correctable.

Additionally, OSHA requires that if you work in an environment where you’re at risk of being hit by something that falls, you must do the following:

Secure tools andmaterials to prevent them from falling on people below

Barricade hazard areas and post warning signs

Use toe boards, screens on guardrails or scaffolds to prevent falling objects

Use debris nets, catch platforms or canopies to catch or deflect falling objects.

Fall protection for tools – what can employers and safety managers do?

While we work toward enacting an official standard for dropped objects, there are many steps employers and safetymanagers can take to ensure their crew is protected. The most
effective step is to add a dropped object prevention programme for tools and equipment to their existing fall protection programme.

When creating a safety plan or outlining the safety needs of the worksite, a safetymanager needs to identify and evaluate all potential dangers on the worksite.

If fall protection is identified as a danger, they need to implement the ABCDEF’s of Fall Protection:

A positive first step toward implementing the ABCDEF’s of fall protection is to conduct, or enlist a safety expert to conduct, a risk assessment.

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) works best when it compliments all other safety equipment used. An overall risk assessment will help identify all hazards workers must be
protected against and the best PPE “package” to deploy.

Implementing Fall Protection for tools

With all PPE, it’s vital that the activities of each worker be considered. If the PPE constricts or negatively impacts job performance it is less likely nto be worn properly, or worn at all.
This is especially important to consider when adding PPE to the tools that perform the work.

One of themore common methods to help prevent tools and equipment from falling is tethering tools and equipment with connectors, connection points, and anchors.

Many tools today have built-in connection points placed by the manufacturer for tethering to help maintain the effectiveness and function of the tool.

Additionally, tools and other equipment can be retrofitted with connection points. These tools are then connected to an attachment point via a lanyard.

Depending on the shape, size and use of a tool, they can either be connected to a worker through a tool belt, harness, or wristband (recommended for tools under 2.25 kilos), or anchored to a fixed structure (recommended for tools over 2.25 kilos).

Tools that weigh more than 2.25 kilos should never be tied off to a person. If a heavy object becomes uncontrolled, the weight and force could dislocate a wrist or shoulder, or even pull a worker over a ledge or off of scaffolding.

To ensure that the deployment and adoption of a broader, all-encompassing fall protection programme succeeds in protecting and supporting workers, it’s important to assign and train a competent person to manage the programme and equipment.

Conclusion

It is the responsibility of every safety manager, construction superintendent, overseer and worker to make sure they understand the dangers they face when working at-height.

Disclaimer: Printed with permission from Protection Update, Summer 2017. Protection Update is an e-newsletter with the aim of informing users, specifiers and purchasers of personal protective equipment, and those who regulate it.

The most common and the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities and major injury on sites in South Africa is falls from height. We are witnessing constant breach of regulations by construction, agricultural, cleaning, mining industries and other related stakeholders throughout South Africa. The Institute for Work at Height is addressing these challenges through collaboration thereby facilitating positive change and an improved safety culture across all industries in SA.

IFWH Professional Body

The Institute for Work at Height Professional Body (IWH PB) is recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as the Professional Body for the work at height industry in South Africa.

Who does it affect?

All persons involved in working at heights that are exposed to the risk of falling.

Any person that wears a safety harness at work.

All persons that employ other persons that have to perform work whilst at height.

All persons that use contractors to carry out work whilst working at height.

All designers of structures that will expose persons to the risks of working at height.

All builders of such structures.

All clients that have such structures erected on their behalf.

Accredited Providers that train persons who work at height.

What does it mean for the industry?

Regulated training of all persons exposed to the risks of working at height, strictly in accordance with the requirements of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

All persons that are trained in accordance with the NQF can apply for membership of the IWH PB and if found to be competent, such persons will be awarded a professional designation and become registered practitioners of the Institute.

The IWH PB also recognises certain non-credit bearing (LNQ) work at height training programmes for which practitioners will receive official recognition.

All such registered practitioners are bound by a code of conduct that is administered by the IWH PB. Any practitioner that is found guilty of a serious breach of this code can have his/her professional designation/recognition revoked by the professional body.

All complaints against unsafe working practices by registered practitioners that are received by the IWH PB will be are investigated by its rules committee.

All accredited training providers are carefully monitored to ensure that the training standard offered meets with the requirements of the NQF and those of the IWH PB.

Peace-of-mind for clients that make use of the services of such registered practitioners.

How does this affect Practitioners and Training Providers?

Any person that wishes to be awarded a professional designation or receive IWH PB recognition must seek the support of a training provider that is recognised by the IWH PB and that can offer the correct training.

Any training provider that wishes to offer training that leads to the awarding of a professional designation or IWH PB approved programmes in the work at height industry should seek recognition from the professional body.

All accredited training providers who wishes to be recognised by the IWH PB are encouraged to contact the professional body to make arrangements for evaluation of their learning materials, trainers and facilities. All recognised training providers will then be listed on the IWH PB website and are entitled to display the words “IWH PB Recognised Training Provider” on their documentation.

What does it mean for the IWH PB to be recognised by SAQA?

Since the IWH PB was registered with SAQA, all the recipients of NQF based training that are found to be competent can be registered against a SAQA registered designation and issued with a ‘Licence-to-operate’ ID card and certificate stating that the person is a “Registered Practitioner”. These persons are allowed to use that title and place Corresponding designator letters behind their names.

Designations are valid for a period of 3 years unless specified otherwise. The Professional Body also recognises various non-credit bearing and skills programmes.

What about Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Training Providers?

The quality assurance of all training in occupational qualifications, resides with the Quality Council for Trade and Occupations (QCTO). The QCTO has delegated this function to some of the relevant SETA ETQA’s and other Quality Assurance Bodies.

All training providers, assessors and moderators operating in the work at height sector are still required to apply to the relevant Quality Assurance Body for accreditation before recognition with the IWH PB can be granted.

IWH Trade Association

The Institute for Work at Height is a Trade Association which came about as a merger of the SAEMA (Specialised Access Equipment Manufacturers Association) and RAFAA (Rope Access and Fall Arrest Association) in January 2009 as both Associations recognised the common factor was “working at height”. The degree of success of an organisation such as the IWH Trade depends to a large extent upon member participation and input into its affairs. Membership affords the opportunity of sharing experiences and knowledge to fellow members. Membership is voluntary and is open to enterprises for whom the supply of equipment and/or contracting services concerning work at height is their core business. No Industry can afford to be without its own authoritative National Body, as a fragmented industry is of little or no consequence to Government, Industry stakeholders, or the end-user. The association therefor creates a “unified voice”

Technical Standards and Good Practice Notes

The Institute is represented on all relevant work at height Technical Committees at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). These committees research and develop South African National Standards (SANS). Published standards are the end result reflecting the views and values of the people who serve on these committees involving SABS expert standard writers and facilitators, other government representatives, sector experts, industry bodies, NGO’s consumer groups and other stakeholders. The development and publishing of Good Practice Notes is an on-going activity of the Institute. These notes provide guidance in achieving best practice in a particular sector of the work at height industry, and by following this advice it makes it easier to account to clients for your action/s.

Outsourcing of work at height services

The outsourcing of work at height services is common practice, as evidenced by the fact that many clients require organisations who offer these services to be a member of the Institute. This in itself illustrates that clients have confidence that IWH members are professionally qualified and competent to carry out the work required.

Communication

The Institute convenes Chamber meetings from time to time which provide a forum for members to network and discuss matters of mutual interest. Latest industry news is sent out to members on an on-going basis. The Institute acts as a conduit in representing industry views to the relevant Government Departments and also the Private Sector.

Marketing

The Institute is the only source for raising the level of professionalism and in turn status of the work at height industry. As such, the Institute adopts a pro-active marketing approach in promoting its interests with regard to:

Client awareness of the benefits of enlisting the services of an IWH member.

Promoting the image of the work at height industry.

Providing information relevant to the Institute’s membership and the Industry at large.

The Institute issues media releases from time to time which are sent to trade journals and the like for publication. These releases are also shown on our web-site.

Member Company advertising on the association’s website is available at attractive rates.

Construction Regulations 2014 define a fall risk as ‘any potential exposure to falling either FROM, OFF or INTO’. Fall protection is thus required for ALL workers who work in elevated positions; anything above the nearest safe surface or water, above a surface or thing that could cause injury if the worker were to fall, or above an open pit, tank or vat containing a hazardous substance. Fall protection includes a harness, net, rope, body belt, structure or other equipment and/or device that will restrain a worker who is at risk of falling or stop a worker who has fallen.

The use of fall protection equipment is found in general construction, residential construction, road construction, utility, oil and gas, mining, maritime, manufacturing, some emergency services sectors and municipality industries. Maintenance of tools, equipment and machinery in the health care, service, transportation and fish processing industries also require the use of fall protection systems and procedures to keep workers safe while conducting maintenance operations. Examples of work activities include, but are not limited to scaffolding, roofing, painting, driving heavy equipment that requires operators to stand, forestry operations including tree trimming, maintenance of machinery and equipment, etc. Work areas and conditions that require fall protection includes, but are not limited to balconies, floor openings, wall or window openings, walkways, excavations and trenches, confined spaces, telecoms, etc.

Who is responsible for Fall Protection?

Anyone who uses fall protection equipment as a part of their job is responsible for recognizing, evaluating and controlling fall hazards. This includes employers, supervisors, contractors and workers, including young workers and those about to enter or return to the work force.

Who needs to be trained and by whom?

Any worker who uses fall protection is required to be “COMPETENT”. A competent person is defined by the Construction Regulation (2014) as a person who;

a) Has in respect of the work or task to be performed the required knowledge, training and experience and, where applicable, qualifications, specific to that work or task: Provided that where appropriate qualifications and training are registered in terms of the provisions of the National Qualifications Framework Act (NQF), 2000 (Act No 67 of 2000), those qualifications and that training must be regarded as the required qualifications and training; and

b) Is familiar with the Act and with the applicable regulations under the Act.

Fall Protection training, also referred to as “Working at Height Training’, could be focused on either Fall Arrest, Fall Prevention or Fall Restraint, depending on the work area or condition the person will be working.

There are registered training standards for fall protection available on the NQF as well as approved standards recognised by the IWH Prof Body, which is the only recognised training to be acknowledged for fall protection. These training standards should be trained by accredited training providers and/or recognised by the IWH PB.

Training which is not quality assured by approved bodies such as SETA ETQA’s, AQP’s and Professional Bodies, cannot be accepted, as no proof of quality assurance of the training, and thus inclusion of the trained person on SAQA’s National Learner Record Database of competent persons, would be available without these.

Competent persons will need solid proof from either the relevant SETA ETQA or AQP or the Professional Body, that he/she is competent for it to be accepted in the industry. Such proof will either be in the format of a STATEMENT OF RESULTS issued by the relevant SETA ETQA of AQP or ‘Permit to Operate’ issued by the IWH Professional Body.

The IWH Prof Body has been tasked by SAQA to confer designations upon COMPETENT persons working at height. The IWH PB also ensures that employees working at height are staying safe by checking on their skills and developing these employees on a continuous basis, thus protecting the employer, employee and industry at large.

I already have been trained and have a Certificate from an accredited training provider. Will I have to do the training again?

If you have a have been trained by an accredited training provider and you have proof that they have uploaded you to SAQA’s NLRD (i.e., you have a Statements of Results (SOR) issued by the relevant SETA ETQA, or AQP), it will be recognized by the IWH PB for us to register you as current and competent to work safe in protecting yourself in a fall risk environment. The IWH PB will be able to use this SOR to register you and issue you a “permit to operate’ for the duration of 3 years. If you have been trained, more than 3 years ago, you can still submit your SOR, but you will have to go for re-fresher training or a re-assessment to ensure that you are still medically fit and able to perform safe practices when working at height. All training, re-fresher training and assessments will only be accepted if it has been conducted by one of the IWH PB’s recognised training providers. Refer to the IWH PBs website for a list of our recognised training providers.

I did fall protection training with a Non-IWH PB recognised training Provider and there is an expiry Date On my certificate?

Training providers are not allowed to issue you a SAQA registered qualification/unit standard with an expiry date on it. Your qualification can never expire, but your recognition as competent and fit for duty to work at height could be in question after a period of time. People become complacent, or they could be medically unfit for the job at hand, regulations and legislation could change and equipment could be outdated – therefore a body such as the IWH PB has been registered by SAQA to ensure the continuous development and recognition of such persons in the work at height industry. The IWH PB therefore register competent persons for a period of 3 years by issuing a ‘license to operate’, after which they have to proof to the industry that they are still medically fit, know the latest legislation and regulations, are aware of the latest equipment and can still perform his/her duties safe.

Which regulations and legislation guides us with regard to competency, safety and training on fall protection?

I want to be trained in fall protection (working at height) and registered with the IWH PB. What should i do?

Please approach any of our listed IWH PB recognised training providers as per our website (under training providers). They will train you according to the correct standards and register you with the IWH PB. The IWH PB will then issue you a Certificate and an ID card (Permit/License to operate) which will be valid for a period of 3 years.

How long is the training for Fall Protection?

The IWH PB recognised training provider will advise you if you need fall prevention, fall arrest or advance fall arrest and rescue training according to the needs as specified by the job you are going to perform. Training will take anything between 1 to 10 days depending on the requirements of the job at hand.

Will I have to redo the same training every 3 years?

Your Statement of results for the training completed will never expire. The renewal of the designation though, will include a re-assessment, CPD activities, for which you will gain CPD points. You will only have to do some refresher training, should there have been changes in legislation or regulations or at the discretion of the training provider based on the entry requirements for renewal. As part of the IWH PB, we insist in developing registered members further and therefore it is recommended you attend CPD (Continuing Professional Development) activities, such as workshops, seminars, etc. This can just benefit you in the long run. You should not however be re-trained on the same old training every 3 years. It is the duty of the recognised training providers to develop you further.

Who should I contact if I have any questions relating fall protection and fall protection training?

Any questions relating to fall protection and fall protection training can be directed to the IWH PB by calling (011) 450 1804 /450 2896 or email info@ifwh.co.za or info@profbody.co.za.